Once thought to be a safe Republican seat, the Mississippi Senate race for 2018 is playing out the inter-party battle seen at the national level. State Sen. Chris McDaniel is the far-right, Roy Moore-type official, who is going up against incumbent U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS). Thanks to President Donald Trump's war against the establishment wing of the GOP, Wicker is seen another Luther Strange complete with support from the White House, the Washington Post reported.
Unlike Moore, however, McDaniel hasn't yet launched into a national, high-profile campaign. Instead, he's looking to become the successor to Sen. Thad Cochran, who at 80 years old has been dealing with health problems. Cochran barely won his seat in 2014 in a matchup against McDaniel. However, according to those close to Gov. Phil Bryant (R-MS), McDaniel doesn't have a chance.
“I know all the governor’s people. They know my people,” said McDaniel. “And there’s been a lot of speculation about who might receive the appointment. But there’s been no official conversation. No detailed conversations on it.”
“Mississippi is stronger because of Sen. Cochran’s service, and I look forward to it continuing,” Bryant said in a statement. “Speculation about anything else is insensitive, irresponsible and unfair.”
So, McDaniel announced that he'll make a decision on whether he'll run against Wicker in January.
“It certainly is on my mind. I think the race will be very compelling. Nevertheless, I still have to make a final decision,” said McDaniel. He also revealed he's thinking about running for lieutenant governor in 2019.
While Trump has thrown his support behind Wicker, the anti-establishment sentiment is high and his popularity is low. Still, Trump has pledged that he will travel the country and campaign for every Republican whether they want him or not.
"He takes his role as the leader of the party very seriously," White House political director Bill Stepien said in an interview. "He loved the campaign trail last year. He loves governing. I am sure he is going to love to get back to the campaign trail next year."
In wake of the GOP loss in Alabama, Trump claimed that the Republicans who lost major races in 2017 did so because they didn't embrace him enough.
"Ed Gillespie worked hard but did not embrace me or what I stand for," Trump tweeted after the Virginia elections. "Don’t forget, Republicans won 4 out of 4 House seats, and with the economy doing record numbers, we will continue to win, even bigger than before!"
Like in Alabama, Mitch McConnell's National Republican Senatorial Committee could be pitted against Breitbart CEO and former White House strategist Steve Bannon.
“Is Bannon going to huff and puff and blow up another Senate race? Or is he going to leave it alone?” the Post quoted Chamber of Commerce political strategist Scott Reed.
Without McDaniel, there's no viable alternative for the far-right, Bannon wing of the GOP to support. If McDaniel runs, a line of attack could be whether Wicker has Trump's back, though McDaniel supported Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) in the GOP primary.
“Steve’s a warrior,” McDaniel said, noting Bannon has given him "advice" on the decision for 2018. They haven't been "orders," however, he said.
He thinks the flub in Alabama is an "anomaly," specifically citing the allegations of child molestation Moore faced. McDaniel doesn't anticipate anything like it in a face off.
